What We Consider when Selecting a Reel for Crappie
You want a quality reel for your money, and with a huge range of options, it’s good to know what to look for.
Size matters!
It’s no accident that crappie are nicknamed “papermouths,” and though they can swallow a larger lure and hook than you’d think, in truth, they’re armed with pretty flimsy mouth tissues. One of the easiest ways to improve your odds when fishing these little devils is to move to lighter gear, and we recommend ultralight rods with a fast to medium-fast action to help cushion hookset.
Light and ultralight tackle are common choices for crappie for a reason, and to match the rod, lure, and line you’ll use, you need a small, feather-weight reel, too.
Line capacity and weight
The designations on a reel typically list the midpoint line weight it’s intended for. When you see a reel with a listed capacity of “4 LB/110 YDS,” keep in mind that it’s designed to handle 2 and 6 pound as well. These numbers usually refer to monofilament.
It’s worth noting that more, or heavier, braided line can be spooled on these reels, if you wish.
For crappie, look for reels that can accommodate monofilament line weights of 2 to 8 pounds. They’ll hold more than enough line for long casts and all-day fishing. And if you need even greater distance or strength, you can always use braid.
Smooth operation
When I shop for a reel, I like to spin it up, and then assess its balance on the rod and how smoothly it functions.
Smoother reels are a real blessing over the course of a day’s fishing, and this is one of the places where more money tends to make a difference.
Quality drag
Spinning reels offer one of two drag systems. They’re either mounted at the tail, behind the reel, or on the front of the spool. If you look at really high-end reels, especially those designed for saltwater, waterproof drag systems that are carefully sealed are available, too.
Generally, low-quality drag systems will be jerky or too tight on light line like 2-pound mono. We look for reels that run like butter no matter how light they’re set.
- Rear drag systems are easy to access, but are more mechanically complicated and less effective because they don’t directly touch the spool.
- Front drag systems are slightly harder to access while fishing, but they feature tougher and more reliable, powerful, and smooth mechanisms. They use mechanical brakes applied directly to the spool, and these are the drag systems we look for in a quality reel.
Gear ratio
A final thing to note when selecting a reel is its gear ratio, for instance, 5.2:1. These numbers described how many turns of the spool one full rotation of the handle produces: in this case, five full spool revolutions per crank.
This number matters for two reasons:
- Lure action - The faster you retrieve a spinning lure, the more speed and activity you demand from the fish, and the less time you give it to decide to strike. That can be a good thing in clear, warm water on bright days. But keep in mind that some lures are best fished quickly, while others perform best when retrieved slowly. You need to consider how you fish and what you throw when selecting a lure.
- Retrieval speed - The higher the gear ratio, the faster the retrieve. When you’re jigging deep or casting at distance and need to cover a lot of water quickly, a high gear ratio can help. But too much speed can be counterproductive, and you need to get the retrieve right for the lure and for the crappie!
Generally, we look for 5:1 as a good place to start for a general purpose reel, and all the options that made our shortlist cluster around that number.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a die-hard slab hunter looking for a new reel, there are several awesome choices.
If budget is the main concern driving your choice, the BassPro Micro Lite Elite is your best bet. Despite wearing a very modest price tag, it performs really well, and I own and fish one myself.
If casting distance is your thing, look no further than the Daiwa Legalis LT. A stunningly capable reel offered at an affordable price, there’s no question that it’s one of the best reels for crappie you’ll find for less than $100.
But if overall smoothness is your game, nothing beats the Shimano Sedona FJ for the price. Offering better performance on all fronts to less expensive reels, it’s still very reasonably priced, an important issue when inflation is taking a big bite out of your budget.
Nice, informative article. Thanks for the technical explanation